Glen Abernethy

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am wondering if the Minister could tell us whether he’s going to have an RFP out so someone can do a review of our contract use. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

As I indicated, I believe our employees are our most valuable asset and, quite frankly, they are involved in the frontline day to day. They see our program delivery. They are involved in our program design, but unfortunately too often -- and this is a pet peeve of mine -- it’s totally easy to see when you look at that report of contracts over $5,000, which is about an inch and a half thick, and you see employees, or ex-employees of the GNWT who have gone away, started consulting businesses and we turn around and we consult with them, and we contract with them, and we contract with them to do...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I would like to thank the Minister of Finance for the budget address there today. There is certainly a lot that can and will be discussed from both within the budget itself and from within the budget address. I am looking forward to those discussions.

I would like to start off right now with just a couple of points. First, I am happy to see that the budget is consistent with our fiscal strategy and that the growth is less than 3 percent minus the net compensation. I think that’s important for the future of this government, both the 16th and future governments.

I also...

Thank you, Mr. Bromley. I have nobody else on my list. What is the wish of committee? Mrs. Groenewegen

Thank, Mr. Chairman. Once again I would like to thank the Minister for his opening comments on the bill today. I just want to talk a little bit about some of the things that we heard and some of my general thoughts.

Obviously, I am looking forward to getting into the detail as we go department by department. Going through the statement, once again as I talk about my Member’s statement, I think it is important for us to be looking at new and creative ways to gain efficiency on the dollars that we are spending and utilize our dollars in the most effective and appropriate ways. I think, if you...

It sounds like we’re saying roughly the same thing, but I’d like to ask the Minister to commit to actually working with our employees and reduce the number of contracts that are being awarded for work that our staff are more than competent and qualified to do in-house. It will save us money. It will allow us to streamline money to where it can be most effective. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. In my Member’s statement I talked about our employees. Our employees are our most valuable resource. In the budget address, the Minister talked about finding efficiencies and, quite frankly, I think one of the greatest ways to find some efficiencies is to work with our employees. Right now, as I indicated in my Member’s statement, you can go and find bookshelves throughout the government full of reports and analyses that were done by contractors that were managed by our employees. Our employees are smart, intelligent, hardworking, competent people who can do this work...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The current Wildlife Act is old and antiquated. It’s definitely time to be replaced with a new act that recognizes the realities of the North and is developed by the people of the North for the North.

I hear what the Minister is saying, but I still question the comments that were made by the director and that were actually made, I just didn’t think I heard them. I’m still concerned that the consultations ended in January. They plan to put a bill in front of us in late February or early March. I want to know that the groups have been heard and what kind of changes have taken place since the last round of consultations. Can he guarantee to me that they have heard these individuals and that since the last round of consultation there’s been more than just editorial changes, as the director said...

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. My questions are for the Minister responsible for Environment and Natural Resources in follow-up of my Member’s statement where I was talking about the consultation process for the proposed new Wildlife Act.

I attended the meeting with the NWT Wildlife Federation on the 15th of January and at that meeting the director of wildlife started off saying we want to hear what you’ve had to say, we want you to tell us what’s wrong so that we can fix it. Towards the end of the presentation the same director said, you know, we’re going to be putting this bill in front of the House...